Brandenburg Concertos
Bach tossed in every available orchestral instrument when he composed the Brandenburg Concertos, a canny move that was labeled daring by his contemporaries and possibly cemented his status as the James Dean of Baroque. The following two hundred years mellowed the Brandenburg Concertos into beloved classics - and the newly minted string ensemble Archetti's eloquent performance is just in time for Mother's Day. Assuming your mom is into rebellion, 18th Century-style.
May 9-10, 3 p.m. Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness. Tickets are $32-42 at (415) 392-4400.
Los Angeles Philharmonic with Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet - formerly a child prodigy, still French, and featured on movie soundtracks like Atonement and Pride and Prejudice - plays Bernstein's The Age of Anxiety and Tchaikovsky's Pathetique in a thrilling performance of despondent passion. Just bring a chaser of anti-depressants or a nice flask of bourbon to take the edge off.
May 11, 8 p.m. Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness. $30-155 at (415) 864-6000.
New World Echoes
Eclectic avant-folk and contemporary chamber music with a side dish of experimental short film is on tap next week in the Mission. Russian accordion maestro Stas Venglevski joins Jack O' The Clock - billed as majestic junk folk - along with The Real Vocal String Quartet and Zoyres, an acoustic band that brings booty-shake to the klezmer.
May 14, 8 p.m. Dance Mission Theater, 3316 14th Street. Tickets are $12-15 at (415) 273-4633.
